- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XLIII -

To the shiny new KINDERGARTENER in the house: I am going to miss you soooo much this year! I hope this year in "the big school" is everything you've dreamed of and more!  Go get 'em, big girl... We are proud of you!!!

**********

On the way to Mass, matter-of-factly:
"My bref [breath] stinks and I forgot to brush my teef [teeth], so I am eating a peppa-mint."

While walking the nature trails during the preschool field trip:
"I think I see a snake!! ...Well, maybe it's just a stick."

After 4 completed days of Tutus Tuus [following approximately 4 months of arguing over wardrobes]:
Harper:  "When I get older, I'm not gonna wear crop tops because I want to be like Jesus and He covered His body."
Scarlett:  "No He didnt, Hawpa!  I can see His nipples on the cwoss!"
Juliette, Harper, me: .....

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "If our house eva' [ever] burns down, will we just, like, have to stay at Dana's or something?"
Me: .....

While looking at the line of airplane exhaust in the sky on a sunny day:
"Oh!  There's a whooshing star [wishing/shooting star]! I'm gonna blow it a whoosh [wish] and see if it comes true!"

While eating my Mexican leftovers:
"Mmmm, this is good!  Maybe next time you orda' [order], I can share it... Because like, I USED to LOVE cheeseboogas [cheeseburgers] when we went to Mexico, but now that I'm getting a yitta [little] bit olda' [older] I don't really like them anymore."

Randomly:
Me:  "Did you know it's my birthday next week?"
Scarlett:  "Yes."
Me:  "I'm gonna be 34!"
Scarlett:  "How old are you now?"
Me:  "33..."
Scarlett:  "Oh, yeah. I wonda [wonder] how old Dad is? ...Prob-lee.........22?"
Me: .....

While visiting with Uncle Blake:
Scarlett: "Why do you have a mustache but not a beard?"
Blake:  "Because pilots aren't allowed to have beards."
Scarlett: "Oh. .....Do you have hair on your back?"
Blake: .....

While driving into town on 4th of July weekend:
Me:  "I hope it rains soon!"
Scarlett:  "Why?"
Me:  "Because it could be dangerous at 4th of July with all the fireworks if the grass and plants are so dry..."
Scarlett: ".....Well, God knows everything and his hands are bigga' [bigger] than our house, so.....it's fine!"
Me:  .....

Randomly:
"Sometimes I yawn on puh-puss [purpose] 'cause I'm just tired."

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Mom, you and me kinda have the same hair. Well like, the same cuh-luh [color] I mean, but yours is like, SUPA' [super] fuzzy hair."
Me: .....

While taking off Arabella's cone after her spay:
"Ohhhh, I don't think that's a good idea to take that off!  Will her decisions [incisions] get affected [infected]?!"

 

While reviewing who she may have a locker by at school and doing a poor job of explaining ABC order:
Me:  "So since your last name starts with F, you might have a locker by ___ or ___...  But if you got married to ___ and your last name was ___, then you might have a different locker by ___ or ___ because your name wouldn't end in F anymore..."
Scarlett:  "Well, that will NEVA' eva' happen, because you can't get married to your friends, you know."

 

 

 

While driving to school on the first day:
Scarlett:  "I hope ____ isn't there on the first day today!"
Me: "Why??!  That's not very nice!"
Scarlett:  "Because! She picks her nose then eats her boogas [boogers]!"
Me, Brian: .....

 

While still driving to school on the first day:
Scarlett:  "It feels like we are going on vah-cay-shen [vacation]!"
Me [trying not to look TOO excited in the front seat]: "...Yes, yes...yes it does! :D"

xoxox

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XL -

While driving through the country in December:
"Look, Mommy!  That tree is naked!"

While driving past a very bundled up human walking her dog on a very cold morning:
Scarlett:  "How does God bundle you up to go on a walk if it's cold in Heaven?"
Harper:  "Well once you stop breathing and your heart and brain stops working, then your soul goes to Heaven and God makes you healthy again. And Scarlett, souls don't get cold."
Me: .....

While observing the GMC logo:
"Mommy, that is not how you write a 'G' OR a 'C!'"

After visiting Santa:
Scarlett:  "Mommy, is Santa a Fleming?"
Me:  "No..."
Scarlett:  "What is he?"
Me:  "...A Claus?"

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "I telled 'da elf that Hawpa [Harper] did something wrong!"
Me:  "Oh, yeah?  Do you think he's gonna tell Santa?"
Scarlett:  "Mmmmmmmmmhm."

On Christmas Eve, as we're driving home from Brian's family Christmas:
"Oh, what a crazy day!  First we went to church, then we went to a party, now we're going home to bed so we can wake up the next day and see if Santa came! PHEW!"

On same said drive^^:
"I thought I saw Santa in the sky but it's just a white star..."

On same said drive ^^:
Scarlett, excitedly, looking for Santa in the sky and talking 10 miles per minute: "Santaaaa Claus is coming to town, oh yeah!  I see 4 red lights!  I think it's Rudolph!!!  Because he pob-ee [probably] has 4 lights... Well, I KNOW he has one bright nose!  And one light on his back!  Actually, I think I see Santa about to land his sleigh!!!"
Harper, matter-of-fact-ly, also looking for Santa in the sky but talking 1/10 of a mile per minute:  ".....Scarlett, that's a police car."

Pulling into the garage from said Christmas Eve drive home ^^:
"Everybody get in bed so Santa can come!  No movies!  NO MISCHIEF!  Santa Claus is coming to town, oh yeah!  ...Maybe he already came because it was so quiet in the house and the lights were off?  Wait, is that him in the sky?  I think he's in 'da subba-vision [subdivision]!!!"

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "I NEVA wanna be a teenage-a [teenager]."
Harper:  "....Well, Scarlett, you ARE gonna be one unless you die before then."
Me: .....

While singing to some tunes:
Scarlett:  "....shut up and dance with me!"
Harper:  "Scarlett, when you go to reconciliation you're gonna have to say sorry for saying all those bad words."
Scarlett:  "No, I imment [am not]."
Harper:  "Yes, you are."
Scarlett:  "No, I imment.  I'm singing a SONG, Hawpa [Harper], so it doesn't count."

On the drive home from her birthday bash:
Me:  "Scarlett, what was the best part about your birthday?"
Scarlett: "Going to the play place!"
Me: "What was the worst part about your birthday?"
Scarlett:  "Ummmmm...that I had to leave the play place!"

The day after her birthday/birthday bash:
Scarlett:  "When can we celebrate my birthday at home?"
Me:  "What do you mean?"
Scarlett: "Like clean up everything and start over.......but get the same cake."
Me: .....

While driving home from school one day:
Scarlett: "How does Coach Brad even make any money? Because you don't make money doing P.E."
Harper:  "Well, Scarlett, the principal gets money from the priest. And the priest gets money from the president. And so all these people in the world that pay for stuff, it goes to the president. And that is how they pay for P.E."

Randomly:
"Hey mom, you know Jesus is in Heaven, right?"

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXXVIII -

On the way to pick up Harper from school:
Me:  "You can be something GREAT when you grow up!  ...A teacher, a doctor, a mom, a dog trainer, a babysitter... What do you think you'll be?"
Scarlett:  "Well, I know one thing I'm DEFLY [definitely] not gonna be.............. A BOY!"
Me: .....

While opening the "Guess Who?" game:
"Well, the box says you have to be 6 to play this... You're too old and I'm too little, but.........who cares! Let's just play anyway!"

After [cautiously] talking about a school shooting at dinner one evening:
Scarlett:  "Well what will I do if somebody shoots everybody except me and Juliette and I can't take care of her because she's really heavy and I can't pick her up?"
Me:  ".....Well, somebody like Grammy or Papa would have to help you..."
Scarlett:  "But how would they even know?! Would I call 9-9-1?"
:'( :'(

Randomly, a few weeks after briefly discussing why the kiddos at VBS were very strictly prohibited from wearing white shirts on water fun Friday:
"Mom!!! I'm gonna check 'da radar and see if it's raining today, because you and Daddy have a white shirt on!"

One Sunday morning before Mass:
Scarlett:  "Mom, can you pick out my clothes so I can get changed?"
Me:  "I'm putting my makeup on, can you ask Daddy for help?"
Scarlett:  "I already asked him, but he's just laying on 'da couch wif [with] his armpit hair just...hanging out!"
Me: .....

After sprinting to the car in a mild rain:
"Phew!  We made it to 'da car wif-out 'da barella [umbrella]!"

On the way home from picking up a Dewey's pizza:
"Buckle up, everybody!  'Else 'da police might get us and take us to jail!  ...And they might even take our peesa [pizza], which would be TERble [terrible] because we are wheely [really], wheeeeeely hungry!"

As I was in the shower:
Scarlett, rushing in:  "MOMMMM!  Uncle Brantsy is here!  I already telled him you are in 'da showa [shower] and he MIGHT not want to come in here..."

 

Five minutes after said announcement ^^:
Me:  "Scarlett, tell Dad to come in here to the bathroom so I can tell him something about food at the concert..."
Scarlett, shout/yelling while walking out of the bathroom:  "DADDDDD, come in here, Mom needs you for sump-ing!  Brantsy, Mom is still naked, so you stay in 'da kitchen!"
Brant:  .....

While being forced to clean up the tornado of toys:
Scarlett:  "For my bert-day [birthday] or Christmas, I want, ummm, a Alexis [Alexa] and a magic wand so then I can just tell Alexis to wave it and I won't have to pick up all my stuff!"
Me:  "I'll take the same gift for my birthday or Christmas!"
Scarlett:  .....

While heating up leftovers for dinner:
Scarlett:  "Ughhhhhhh, we're having 'DA SAME FOOD AGAIN??!??!"
Harper:  "Scarlett, some kids are homeless and always hungry, they live outside and are so hungry that they just have to make mud pies with grass on top."
Scarlett:  ".....Oh.  Well do 'dey like it?"
Harper:  .....

Randomly:
"Mommy, I know everybody you know except your work friends, right?"

While talking to her iPad -- offline -- on the way to pick out her birthday balloons:
Scarlett:  "Hey Siri, is 'da bloon shop open?"
Siri:  "To answer that, you'll need to be online."
Scarlett:  "Hey Siri, just tell us for real.  IS...'DA...BLOON...SHOP...OPEN???"

After getting a flu shot and complaining about a sore leg:
"Just imagine if you break your muscle bone.........is actually what this feels like!"

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Mommy, when I'm all grown up, will you still be my mud-duh [mother]?"
Me:  "Yes!  But you might not always live in my house, like you might have kids and your own family and want to move out some day, but I'll always be your mother!"
Scarlett:  "I'm not gonna get kids.  I'm just gonna 'dopt them."
Me:  "Oh yeah?  Why's that?"
Scarlett:  "BECAUSE!  Rememba [remember], I telled you, I. DON'T. WANNA. GET. A. HUSBAND."

 

 

- Father/Daughter Dance 2023 -

AND THEY'RE OFF!!! 8th Annual Father/Daughter Dance hosted by the local K of C's, here they come!

[^^ Pic on the right of Daddy and all his girls for funsies, even though Super J got voted out for the dance!]   

 

And btw, I enjoyed the heck out of these photos I took before the dance since I figured they'd probably be the only ones I’d get from the evening ..........[and yes, I'll go ahead and give you a spoiler that I predicted correctly!]! 

 

 

All the hairspray...

 

...all the glitter...

 

...ALL FOR DADDY!!! 

 

 

They swung by to pick up another dancing duo on the way, and I don't think I've ever seen a cuter quintet [yes, had to Google, "what do you call a group of 5 people?"]!

 

When they got home, the stories never ended!  Here are two, to name a few:

 

Scarlett: "I ate TWO big heart cookies, one sprinkle brownie, two chocolate kisses, and a bunch of M&Ms!  But I shared the M&Ms with Kate!  And that's all the junk food I ate.  I don't even ask Dad, I just go get whatever I want!" 

 

Harper:  "Yeah, Mom, that's because Dad drunk four cans of beer."

This dancing trio had the bessssst time, and I'm fairly certain that 3/3 of them are already counting down for next year!
 

- CHRISTmas -

Today is April 23, 2023; so, needless to say, I'll be backdating this post abouuuut 4 months... 

...but gosh, looking back on the photos of how we celebrated Christmas 2022 just fills my heart with joy that we are surrounded and spoiled by family who loves us and our children so deeply and also gratitude that we have the privilege of celebrating the TRUE reason for the season and have a wonderful parish community that walks alongside us as we attune our eyes and hearts to the newborn Christ at Christmastime!  Ready the way!  We are so blessed to love and be loved.

 

Harper got asked to carry the infant Jesus to the crèche during the procession of Christmas Eve Mass...

...and then we were off to Brian's family celebration!

On the way home from Christmas Eve dinner:

Scarlett [excitedly, looking for Santa in the sky and talking 10 miles per minute]:  "Santaaaa Claus is coming to town, oh yeah! I see four red lights!!! I think it’s Rudolph! Because he pob-ee [probably] has four lights… He has ONE bright nose! And one light on his back… actually I think I see Santa about to land his sleigh!!!!!"

Harper [matter-of-fact-ly, also looking for Santa in the sky but talking 1/10 of a mile per minute:] "…..Scarlett, that’s a police car."

  

...But whether he was actually spotted or not, he did make an appearance overnight, and the treasures he left did not disappoint! 

 

Scarlett: "Mom, is Santa a Fleming?"

Me: "No….."

Scarlett: "What is he?"

Me: "……….a Claus?"

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  We wrapped up the Christmas weekend with candlelight adoration at our parish, which was breathtakingly beautiful!

May the love of the newborn Christ fill your homes with light and life!  

xoxo

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXXVI -

This girl went back to preschool this week [Monday/Wednesday/Friday this year; such a big girl!], and for the first time in 3 full months my brain literally has 5.2 seconds of consecutive silence to think without being pounded with Scarlett's thoughts/questions/observations -- one after another!!! Juliette and I are currently just floundering in the silence over here and are already looking forward to carline this afternoon when we'll get to entertain more inquiries from this curious middle sister and hear every detail [and more!] about her day at school! ;) :)

**********

On the ramp as we were exiting the interstate:
Scarlett:  "WHOAAAA MOM, be careful so you don't FLY 'da car into 'da trees!!!"
Me:  ....

 

Overhead from the toilet:
"My God is so BIG, so 'trong [strong] and so mighty, 'dere's nuffing [nothing] my God can't do!"
*poop plop*

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Mom, do you like your husband?"
Me:  "Yes....."
Scarlett:  "Oh!  Well 'den I should like my husband, too!"
Me:  "Who do you think you'll marry?"
Scarlett:  "DEFLY [definitely] Brian."
Me:  .....

While driving home from church:
Scarlett:  "Hawpa, when I grow up I am gonna have a baby, because babies are SO CUTE!"
Harper:  "I'm not gonna have a baby.  I'm just gonna have a dog."

After Juliette bit me with her brand new tooth while nursing:
Me:  "OWW! Juliette, no no!"
Scarlett:  "Mom, don't be scared! She's just a baby!"

 

 

While pulling up to our parish's summer carnival:
"Does 'dis church carnival have a rolla coasta [roller coaster]?"

After getting dropped off at home after her first night of VBS:
Me:  "So what did you learn about tonight, Scarlett?!"
Scarlett:  "We learned about..............God."

While driving past the pumpkin patch in the summer:
"Mom!  We are driving past 'da punkin patch, but where is all 'da punkins?"

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "When am-imals [animals] die, do you feel bad for them?"
Me:  "Yes."
Scarlett:  "Because I do!"

As I'm just starting to prepare dinner:
"Mom, do you think we should just say our prayers now so whoever is like SUPA [super] hungry can eat when 'da food is done and not have to waste more time to sit there and say TWO prayers?"

 

 

 

A few hours after a family conversation about the sacraments, and that Harper would be making her First Reconciliation in 2nd grade:
"Mom, I think Hawpa will have to tell 'da pweest [priest] 'dat she is ALWAYS bad at bedtime!"

 

After coming out of bed one evening while I was watching a documentary on Netflix:
Scarlett:  "Mom, what is 'dis movie about?"
Me:  "The two popes."
Scarlett:  "What is a pope?"
Me:  "The head of the Church."
Scarlett:  "..........WHY does 'da Church have a head on it?!"

After threatening to take away the daily sticker from her reward chart:
Scarlett:  "Well MOM, 'da sticka' chart is for CWEANING [cleaning], not for arguing!"
Harper:  "Yeah, Scar, but God did not send us to earth to make bad choices, so you have to clean AND behave to earn all your stickers!"

 

 

Randomly:
"Did Gwanma Ann get married already?"

Running in from the garage with a Dum-Dum after a trip to Home Depot with Brian:
Scarlett:  "MOM!!! I ate a hel-fee [healthy]...hel-fee...HEL-FEE sucka [sucker].  Because it had a strawberry on 'da wrappa!"
Me:  .....

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXXIV -

As evidenced in this post, our Scarlett girl leaves us speechless quite often these days!  I hope her inquiring little mind never dials back! ;) :)

***********

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "I think God is a boy, what do you think Hawpa?"
Harper:  "Yes.  He's definitely a boy."
Scarlett:  ".....But WHERE is God, 'da boy, then?  Is he flying up in 'da sky holding onto a broom?"
Harper, me: .....

 

While watching me try on a new dress that I got for my birthday:
Me:  "Do you like my new dress?"
Scarlett:  "Yes!!!  ...Because it looks like a short-sleeve robe!"
Me: .....

While listening to Harper study/recite the Stations of the Cross in anticipation of her test at school:
Scarlett:  "WAIT. A. MINUTE. ..........  Jesus DIIIIIIED????!!!"
Brian, Harper, me: ..... 

While pointing to a coloring sheet she made at school during Holy Week: 
Scarlett:  "And dere's [there's] 'da cross 'dat Jesus was STUCK on."
Brian, Harper, me:  .....

While using the restroom at Target, loudly:
Scarlett:  "MOM! Can I open 'dat box on 'da wall and see if dere's any BLOODY tampons?"
Me:  ....

After walking past a girl her size in a wheelchair, still at Target, still loudly:
Scarlett:  "HAWPA [Harper], DO YOU THINK 'DAT GIRL IS HANDICAPPED?"
Harper:  .....

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Mom, when will Dad have ginormous boobs like you?"
Me:  "Probably never, since he's a boy.........."
Scarlett:  "Oh.  Well I'm a girl!  So when will I have ginormous boobs like you?"
Me: "When you're old enough to be a Mommy."
Scarlett:  "...............Oh."

While watching Juliette nurse [a few hours after examining separated breastmilk in the fridge]:
Scarlett:  "......Is 'dere fat in 'DAT NIPPLE 'dat Ju-wee-ette is drinking out of?!"
Me:  "Yes."
Scarlett:  "Whattttttt?! How can 'dere be FAT IN NIPPLES?!"
Me:  .....

 

While driving home right after sunset, approximately 8:02pm:
"I see allllll 'da neighbors' lans-camping [landscaping] lights on! I wonda [wonder] if anybody is awake inside?!"

On the way home from school:
Scarlett:  "MOM!  When we pick our nose at school, afta' [after] we are done, 'da teacha [teacher] says we have to wash our hands or use Germ-X!"
Me:  ..... 

While driving home from the grocery store:
"Mom!  Mom, mom, mommmm, MOM!  Is 'dat a hewa-copta [helicopter] or a bird?!"

 

While playing outside:
"Mom, did you know bees only have ONE stinga [stinger] to sting people, 'den 'dey die?  ...So once ALLLLL 'da bees have stinged people, 'den 'dey will all die and we will NEVA [never] have to see bees again!"

 

On the way home from the grocery store:
Scarlett:  "Mom! What would we DO if we got home and Dad and Ju-wee-ette jus' appeared?!"
Me:  "Just appeared where?"
Scarlett:  "No. JUS'. APPEARED."
Me:  "........Ohhhh. Disappeared?"
Scarlett:  "Yes! Jus' appeared!  Would we have to look alllll around for 'dem 'den call 9-9-1???"

While recounting the "Last Day Luau" AKA her last day of preschool:
"We got to play outside for like a HALF AN HOWA [hour] which was pretty much like 'da whole day!"

On the first day of summer break:
"I whooshed [wished] Hawpa go'ed to school every single day so I don't have to wisten to her bossy talking!"